Thursday, 24 December 2009

I'm off to France for a few days skiing where I'll be guaranteed a white Christmas (assuming Gatwick and Easyjet are on my side of course...). Here's hoping wherever you are, you're sprinkled with snow too.

Wednesday, 23 December 2009

I'm sure most of you will have come across the following images of Crystal Renn and Jacqueline Jablonski styled in identical outfits and poses for V magazine's January offering. Shot by Terry Richardson, it's the latest in a series of campaigns in an attempt to make people both in and out of the blinkered fashion industry to sit up and smell the double-shot-non-fat-soya-coffee.

I think the first point to discuss is which side of the camp I sit - after all, the main purpose of Sartoriology, to me, is to discuss what style is in relation to said fashion industry and all points in between i.e. the DNA.

It might seem controversial but up until today I did actually think that clothes looked better on 'standard' models. That's not however to be confused with 'size zero' nor with confirmed or non-confirmed anorexic models. I believed that the line of a dress/skirt/suit/coat could be ruined if even the slightest fold or muffin top was in sight. Some people could say that I'm hardly one to talk, it's not like I don't own a whole hoard of body-sculpting underwear, in fact for my wedding I spent £100 on Spanx and Wacoal pieces alone, just to achieve that slim-line silhouette on my Big Day.

However after seeing these pictures and after seeing Mark Fast's latest collection walk the well-trodden runway, my eyes have been opened to the idea of plus-size models walking and campaigning alongside standard models.

However just to make something clear, we shouldn't confuse plus-size with fat. Crystal Renn is not fat, Beth Ditto however is and I think this is something the media confuse most of the time, championing the 'bigger' girl when in fact they are promoting unhealthy eating and living. That's not to say that standard models should the poster girl of today's society, not by any stretch of the imagination. I think a balance needs to be struck.

Back in August, The Sartorialist posted on a plus-size model who featured in US Glamour. The post, which included his comments on how larger women tend to shy away from having candid pictures taken due to suspicion of how the pictures will actually be portrayed, garnered 590 comments both for and against plus-size models.

And so as 2009 draws to a close and with A/W 10 Fashion Week just around the corner, I'm wondering whether any of the heavyweights - Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana I'm talking to you - will be surprising the front row and Fashion Ed's with a scattering of 'real women' on their runway? And which mega magazines will actually follow through and place a plus-size on their cover?

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

For the past 6 months I've been living in an all consuming pre-wedding bubble and now finally, I'm married and free! And so while I settle back in and get the post wedding tasks done and dusted, I thought I'd post a couple of pics of the Big Day and our beloved rings!

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Just read really sad news that Korean model Daul Kim has been found dead in her Paris apartment. Although there's initial speculation, it's not clear what caused her premature death. Daul walked for Alexander McQueen and featured in countless editorial and cover shoots for British and Korean Vogue. Such a shame.

Monday, 16 November 2009

Monday evening and my Paris hen do has been and gone, leaving me with a hoarse voice and wonderful memories. The girls did me proud! In the past 48 hours i've flicked through racks of vintage Balmain, Chanel and Chloé and experienced the best show i've ever and possibly will ever see at the Lido on the Champs-Élysées.

Showgirls, cabaret and prancing ponies aplenty, there was sequins, beading, trouser suits reminiscent of Yves Saint Laurent circa 1990 and topless Parisian burlesque beauties! Lithe and impeccably turned out, the breast-baring beauties were high up on the table discussions with much adoration.

So with this in mind and while flicking through Alice in Wardrobe Wonderland, i wanted to do a post about the wonder of femininity and fashion and especially how nudity can be portrayed tastefully and polar opposite to a tabloid page 3.

Would you agree?

The shots below are from Vogue Australia and then Kate Moss who champions the top off to perfection.

Friday, 13 November 2009

I've been so pre-occupied with planning my impending wedding (T minus 15 days) and working stupidly long hours that I've totally neglected my beloved blog. And so with my impending Paris-bound hen do kicking off in a little over 14 hours, i felt the need to post the following to tie me over until Monday where i will officially take control of my life again...one can try anyway.

From runway to red carpet, clearly the only woman brave enough to take Alexander McQueen's 'Armadillo' heels by the sartorial horns would be Daphne Guinness. Presenting at last night's NARS event, Guinness paired the perilously high heels with a runway computerised dress and finished with her trademark theatrical kohl-smudged make up. I'm not sure how i feel about the end result, or indeed the heels themselves. The shoes are a work of art but who's to say art has to be tasteful or even something that everyone approves of? The colour is a little too similar to her ghost-like legs but perhaps Guinness had McQueen's creature creations in mind and chose to execute her look to the exacting standards of his recent S/S 10 collection.

So while i sit on the fence and mull over whether this art form should have stayed as that, i wonder what your thoughts are?

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

One of the hottest trends that’s emerging from New York S/S 10 is Tribal. Pleasing-on-the-eye prints and tactile-to-touch fabrics make this perennially chic tribal trend safari’s edgier older sister.

With winter’s global nomad making the logical step on, the tribal trend has grown up and is much easier to wear than previous seasons with an abundance of printed maxi dresses and blouses in a multitude of colourful guises.

Diane von Furstenberg sent her army down the catwalk with elbow-to-wrist stacked bangles, Alice Temperley for Temperley London chose a tattoo-inspired sheer maxi dress and Marc Jacobs firmly cemented this ubiquitous trend with a medley of printed tunics, shirts, shorts and skirts, all printed with oversized spots, etchings and stripes for his by Marc line.

Taking tribal into a definitively darker mood, Kate and Laura Mulleavy at Rodarte used their signature aesthetic of swathed and shredded chiffon to create elegant armour, dripping with tassles and covered in crocheted cobwebs. It may not be the most commercial collection in their design portfolio, but it’s certainly one of the most beautifully constructed.

With these initial flavours coming from New York, it'll be interesting to see London's interpretation of this new-season style, particularly from flamboyant designers such as Matthew Williamson, David David and Duro Olowu.

Sunday, 13 September 2009

With New York Fashion Week in full throttle, I've been researching the collections to see what's likely to be an editorial hit for S/S 10 and what trends I'll be rocking once the impending winter chills.

One of my favourites so far, not just in terms of wearability but also for his vision, has to be not-so-new boy, Alexander Wang. Looking to the all-American sportsman for inspiration, Wang took basic sportswear silhouettes and shaped them into new-season essentials. With favourites including Natasha Poly and Anna Selezneva storming the floodlit catwalk in ribbed knee-high socks, Wang used a muted colour palette of khaki and grey marl to sku his shapes.

Taking the standard grey sweatshirt, Wang showed that with a nude mesh corset or with cocoon-shaped shoulders, there's two ways to wear this wardrobe basic (female-friendly Y-fronts optional). In other looks, sports-striped trousers hung louche on the hips and could easily be pared with this season's Chloe wedge boots, while tobacco-brown leather inserts were seen on sweaters and lace-up shorts. And the pièce de résistance? A deflated American football clutch.

I'm a huge fan of Wang's designs and will be looking forward to seeing how his designs are picked up in the online stores such as Net-a-Porter, Matches and Browns, and also how his collection will be interpreted by the high street. No doubt GAP (who he collaborated with this year and who are the high street leaders in sports-chic), will be the one to turn to.

Friday, 11 September 2009

Last Saturday my dear friend B and I went to a press screening of The September Issue. Aside from spending 80+ minutes in total fashion and docu-drama heaven, one of the best quotes I've ever heard was uttered before the trailers for the film even started. "There's always a way to wear fur", mused Anna Wintour. A girl after my own heart.

Thursday, 10 September 2009

Has anyone else noticed how Gossip Girl's Taylor Momsen is morphing into a 1990s Courtney Love?

I'm loving the homage to Nirvana with a scruffy-chic plaid shirt, biker boots and MKO-inspired multiple chains. Thank god she got rid of her awful fringed haircut (GG Season 2 was not a pretty look for her).

Wednesday, 2 September 2009

When SATC the movie came out, me and the girls did the deed and watched with baited breath as Fergie belted out the opening lyrics and we were lost in girlie heaven for the next 2 hours. To be honest, it didn't live up to the hype. I wasn't mad on the plot but I was mad on the clothes and every time I watch it again, I look at a different angle, whether it be who's in the background or the accessories Carrie wears instead of the shoes I watched previously or her hairstyle prior to that (I know, I have a problem).

So now they've started filming SATC 2. I'm not doing spoilers or even looking out for pictures as the entire plot was given away (and ruined) last time just through looking at candid snaps or reading the latest update in Grazia. Who knows whether it's going to trump its predecessor or if it's going to flop. One thing we do know however, is there's going to be fabulous fashion!

Here's just two snaps I caught last night, I love Carrie's hair this color and the white empire dress with the ghetto-glamour shades are so amazing! Can't bloody wait.

Monday, 31 August 2009

I've been meaning to upload these pics for a while but as usual have got side-tracked! Anyway, the first is of Vivienne Westwood's crystal-embellished skull ring. It's chunky, sparkly and a serious piece of finger-candy that totally indulges my inner rocker.

Next up is Burberry's barbed wire ring. Do you remember Giles' spike-studded key-charm he did for Mulberry a few seasons ago? This is the 2009 update. It's fabulously fierce.